Mirror.



\ Patented Apr. '|0, |900. X. 0. HOWE.

Mmmm.

(Application filed. Oct. 14, 1897.)

No. e47,|39.

(Model.)

STATES PATENT Ormea.

XENOPI-ION O. I'IOWE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MIRROR.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent N0. 647,139, dated April 10, 1900.

Application tiled October 14, 1897. Serial No. 655,140. (Model.)

T0 all whom, it may concern.:

Be it known that I, XENOPHON O. Hown, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mirrors, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to mirrors, and has for its object to provide a new andimproved mirror, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure lis a plan view of the mirror. Fig. '2 shows the mirror held up to the light. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3, Fig. l. Fig. i is a view of the design-plate associated with the mirror. Figisaviewsimilarto Fig. l. Fig. 6 is a View showing the design-plate used as an advertisement.

Like letters refer to like parts throughout the several figures.

I have illustrated in the drawings asimple form of my device in order to make its application clear.

In carrying out my invention I provide a plate A of transparent material, preferably glass, provided with a mirrored surface A and held in a suitable frame A2 of any desired construction. Back of themirror-plate A,I provide a design-plate B, carrying some suitable design. This design may be a picture or may consist -of words or gures or advertising matter or a combination of various devices, and I do not limit myself in any manner to the material or thing or descriptive matter placed upon this design-plate. The design-plate-is also held in position in the frame A2. In making up my device I prefer to provide a second mirror-plate A3, having the mirrored surface A4, the design-plate being intermediate or between the two mirrorplates. It is of course evident that one of these mirror-plates may be omitted, if desired, and I do not limit myself to the use of two such plates. When these several parts are assembled, the device when acting by reflected light appears to be nothing but an ordinary mirror, the design being concealed. When the device is held upto the light so as to act by transmitted light, the design is brought into view and can thus be clearly seen. When using my device as an advertising medium, it may be desirable to place something upon the mirror-plate which will be exposed to view when the device is not acting by transmitted light, indicating that the device is other than a simple mirror. For example, I may place upon one of the mirrorplates some such words as Look through the glass, as shown, for example, in Fig. 5, for Without some such indication few people would know that the device was anything else than a mirror. As before stated, I may place upon the design-plate any suitable advertising matter, which may consist of pictures or the like or may simply consist of reading matter, as shown, for example, in Fig. 6. The design-plate B may be made of any suitable material-as, for example, glass or thin paper,through which the light passes,or mica or any other suitable material-the only condition being that it is able to transmit'light. The design maybe placed upon this plate in any suitable manner, and I do not limit myself to any particular method of producing this design.

In using the word design I do not limit it to any technical meaning, but intend by this word to cover any matter or thingwhich may be placed upon this design-plate or otherwise associated with the mirror.

I have described my device as having a separate plate, upon which the design is placed; but it is of course evident that this design may be placed directly on the back of the mirrored surface of the mirror-plate, thereby obviating the use of an intermediate or additional plate.

I have illustrated a particular form of my device and for the purposes of illustration have taken one of its simplest forms; but it is of course evident that these parts may be greatly varied without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I therefore do not wish to be limited in any manner by the construction shown.

The mirror to be used in connection with my device may be made in any desired manner. For example, a suitable mirror may be made by omitting the heavy opaque backing usually applied to mirrors and using in its stead some transparent protecting-coating-such, for example, as shellac or the like. It is of course evident that any suitable mirrored IOO 2 @niet surface may be used which will allow the design to be seen when the mirror is held up to the light, and l of course do not limit myself in any particular to the manner in which this mirror is made or to' the construction of such mirror.

I claiml. As an article of manufacture, a device comprising` a mirror-plate and a design associated together, the designbeing concealed and the device constituting a mirror when acting by reflected light, the design being brought into vieW when the device is acting by transmitted light.

2. As an article of manufacture, a device comprising a plate or the like having a reiiecting mirror-surface on its back, a second plate in proximity to the first-mentioned plate and provided with a design, and a frame in which said plates are placed, both of said plates of material adapted to transmit light, said plates arranged to normally act as a mirror, the design being brought into view when the device is held up to the light.

3. As an article of manufacture, a device comprising two 1nirror-plates placed back to back and a design-plate carrying some suitable design intermediate or between said mirror-plates.

4. As an article of manufacture, a device comprising two mirror-plates placed back to back, an intermediate plate between the tWo v mirror-plates carrying advertising matter, a

frame holding said parts in position, the Whole so arranged as to produce a double-faced mirror, the advertising matter being normally concealed, except When the device is held up to the light.

5. As an article of manufacture, a device comprising two mirror-plates placed back to back, an intermediate plate of material adapted to transmit light and carrying a suitable design,'a frame extending around the outer edge of said plates, so as to hold them to'- gether, but leaving the faces of the two mirrors exposed on each side of the device, the whole so arranged as to produce a doublefaced mirror that ordinarily conceals the design, the design adapted to appear by varying the position of the device with relation to the observers eye, so that it acts by trans mtted light instead of refiected light.

G. As an article of manufacture, a device comprising a transparent plate provided at its back with a mirror-surface, adesign back of said plate and mirror-surface and associated therewith so as to be held in proper position with relation thereto, the device constituting a mirror when acting by reected light, the design being brought into view when the device is acting by transmitted light.

XENOPHON O. HOWE. Witnesses: i

DONALD M. CARTER, HoMuR L. KRAFT. 

